Solenoid valve



.7:15. I sa 3.

June 9, 1959 1. K. HoRNE 2,890,015

SOLENOID VALVE Filed Dec. 24,1956 2 sheets-sheet 1 lsv? JAMES K. HORNE ATTORAEY June 9, 1959 Fled D86. 24, 19,56

' J. K. HORNE 2,890,015

SOLENOID VALVE 2 sheets-sheet 2 Ol l@ JNVENTOR.

- JAMES K. HoRNE United Stateslatent ^O icc y j1p SOLENOID VALVE NH., assignor to Minneapolis- James K. Horne, Dover,

Minneapolis, Minn.,

Honeywell Regulator Company, a corporation of Delaware Application December 24,1956`,`Se'rial No. 630,357

4Claims. (Cl. 251-130) y The invention relates to automatic-recycling. and manually-operable means for powerl operated valves.

Valves of thisY general type are well, known in the art 'and this invention relatesspecifically to an automatic recycling mechanism for power operated valves described in the copending application of Jo'hn R. Jamieson, Serial No.

507,552, and led May l1, 1955'J although it is deemed inexpensive, reliable and compact-automatic recycling l mechanism for power operated valves in general and, more specifically, the valve disclosed inthe above mentioned Jamieson application. A

Another object of the invention is to provide an .automatic recycling mechanism wherein a switch for bridging control contacts for the power-means of a valve is located outside of a chamber housing the motor and is actuated by the same manually operable means for actuating the motor to its open position. l

, Other objects of the invention will become apparent upon reading the following detailed description of the iuvention in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical sectional View of the valve along its longitudinal axis;

Figure 2 is a view of valves;

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view of thefvalve taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 1, and

Figure 4 is a plan view of the valve with a portion of the terminal housing removed and av portion ofthe terminal block broken away.

The preferred embodiment of the invention consists of a valve body portion 11 having a threaded inlet 12 and a threaded outlet 13, with an apertured and inclined partition wall 14 therebetween. The inlet side of the wall 14 has a at surface 15 that serves as a valve seat around the aperture 14a that is adapted to -heopened and closed by a valve 16.

the inside of the cover ofl the '2,890,015 Patented June 9, 1959 each of which has an elongated slot therein for reception of the pivot pins 22 on the solenoid yoke 21. The lever 23 has a projection 23C secured thereto with a diaphragm seal 27 clamped therebetween. The diaphragm is clamped around its periphery to the underside of the bottom of the housing 17 by means of a ring 28 iheld in position by a plurality of bolts 29 to seal an opening 30 in the bottom of the housing through which the lever extends. An arm 31 is held on the lower end of the extension 23C by the headed over end 23d of la pin extending from the lever 23 through the diaphragm 27, the extension 23C and the arm 31. The valve 16 is supported by the outer end of the arm 31 by having astem portion 16a thereof extend through an opening in the arrn 31 and, retained thereon by meansof a split ring 32. A helical spring 33 resiliently and swivelly mounts the valve 16 on the arm 31. Y

The arm V23a of the lever 23 has an extension 23e. that is inclined upwardly and inwardly with respect to the solenoid and is adapted to be engaged bythe laterally extending arm 34a of a lever 34 pivotally secured'to a cover 35 for the housing 17 by means of a bolt 36 or Iby staking the end of a boss extension serving as the pivot for the lever. The housing 35 is securedto lthe housing 17 by means of bolts not shown with anv `O-ring sealv therebetween. rDhis lever has a slot 34b substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the lever :34' with a notch 34e extending transversely therefrom' at the end of the slot nearest the pivot 36. 1 I

The lever 34 is adapted to be actuated to position the arm 34a against the arm 23e and to move the valve 16 to itsy open position by means of an externallyl positioned control knob 38. The knob 38 is fixed on the shaft 39 that extends through the top wall of the cover 35. ,'Dhe shaft 39 has an O-ring seal 40 between it and the cover 35 and carries at its inner end a crank arm 41'. r The outer end of the arm 41 carries a transversely extending pin 42 that extends through the slot 34b in the lever 34. It is thus seen that by rotation of the knob 38, the pin 42 will rotate the lever 34 which, in turn, will rotatethe lever 23 to open the valve and to move the'plunger to 'a position approaching its energized position. When in ythis position, the -pin 42 will engage in the notch 34o and will be retained therein by the tendency of the lever 34 to move in the opposite direction under the bias ofj the solenoid spring 21a. While a coiled tension spring 43, anchored at one of its ends to a pin '44 onthe cover 35 and at its other end to the crank arm 41, tends to, move the crank arm 41 and lche knob 38 to its starting position, this force is not suliiciently greatto kick thepin 42 out of the notch 34C against the bias of the sprin'g`21a of the A housing 177 isy secured to the body portion 11` by means of bolts (not shown) with a-gasket 18 therebetween. V

A solenoid 19 has a bracket 19a thereon that is secured to the housing 17 by means of bolts 20. The plunger (not shown) of the solenoid is connected to a yoke 21 that, in turn, is operably connected :by a pair of pins 22 to a lever 23.

The lever 23 is pivoted in the housing 17 on a pivot 24 that extends through the lever with the ends of the pivot resting between two pairs of lugs 25 in the bottom of the housing 17 .l The pivot is held against the bottom of the housing and between'the'lugsbymeans of a Y-shaped leaf spring 26 thatisl clamped'to the housing 17 by the bracket 19a and bolts 20. 'Phe lever 23 also has a pair of upwardly and outwardly extending arms 23a and 23h,

solenoid plunger. The crank arm 41 and pin 42 will retain the valve in its open position until either the solenoid is energized to pull the yoke 21 `inwardly an` additional distance to relieve the force exerted by the spring' 21a-'o`n the lever 34, so as to enable the spring 43 to kick the pin out of the notch 34e and return the knob and the crank arm to its inoperative or starting position,.= or by manually forcing the pin 42 out of the notch Iby manually turning the knob in its returning direction. l

In order to provide for automatic returning of the valve to its closed position or to the control of a room thermo stat` which normally controls the energization of the ,solenoid, a switch in the form of a flexible contact arm45 is secured at one of its ends Ato a terminal member 46 and is adapted to'engage another terminalmember 47 wat yits moulded onathe innerer-bottom side of the knob 38. This eam-portion-Shhas a-ibear-ing surface-that is eccentric to the axis of the knob or shaft 39 so that when the knob is rotated to the valve open position, the contact arm 45 v engages terminal I47. The terminal-block consisting of the portions 49 and :50,- arevheld-.together--by means; to terminal members 45 and 46a extending therethrough-and -through apertures 'in-theghousingfSSand-throughan insulation strip l52 on `the'- inner-side-of-the-cover 35. A coverw53v has an ropen- -ing-"54-therein-to-perrnit leads extending from f a heating system-to-enter-for -connectionrto-the terminals 46, 47 vandilai. f'lT'he-eover253'is adaptedto be secured to the cover35 by-Vmeans-of bolts (not-shown). Terminali46 'iseonnected-to-one-endof the solenoid coil and terminal Maris-,connected to` the other end.

f-In-theconnection-of the -terminals to a` heating `control systemyit isvdeemed-to be obvious that the terminal 46 will-be connected by a lead line 5 to one'side of a room thermostatiSGandthat the terminal-47 will be connected by a lead 57 to the other `side of a room thermostat. The terminal-46a-is connected to `one line of a source of power 58 -bylead line 59 while the other side of the powersource is connected to the thermostat and terminal `47 through a ,lead lineV 60.

- Operation 1The.,normal operation ofthe valve will be under the control` of room thermostat 56 connected in series with -the.-coil `of-the valve-and a source-of electrical current. However, in theevent` of Apower'failure, it is possible to place the-heating system .in operation by manually rotating the knob 38 to its valve openposition -whereinfit holds the-valve open and-simultaneouslycloses the switch arm-45against the contact-47 to lshunt lout the room thermostat. Nflhe-Apuipose ofthis shorting out of the roomUtheifmostat-is 'to enable the valve to Vtransfer to automatic operation upon power-resumption, regardless of whetherI ornot the-room thermostat is calling for operation ofthe-valve at the time power yis resumed. As indicatedpreviouslyVthe` manual operation -of the valve by the knob --does-notfully move the-plunger toits innermost-positionbutfonly sutiiciently far to v.open the valve for-operation purposes and `still enable the-plunger to move-,in `anadditional-.distance upon the solenoid being energized, so as to-releasethe pin 42 from the notch 34C in the lever that is holding the valve open. This is accomplishedby/releasing the tension-on the pin 42 resulting from the tendency ofthe lever 34 to move in a counterclockwise. direction, `as shown in Figure 2, under the bias of the solenoid spring 21a. By relieving this tension,l the spring 43 issu-ciently strong to cam the pin 42 -outof-the-notch V34e-and to permit the knob to bereturned-to its-valve-released positionand the switch 45- to 19e-biased under its own tension away from the contact 47.

I'-While the preferred embodiment of-the invention has beendescribedabove,A it is-deei-ned to be apparent to those skilled-in the art how-modications-may be made therein ,without departingfromthe spirit-of the invention. Therefore,the scopeohthe invention-should be determined from theV4 appended-claims.

l. A control device comprising a member movable between-first-and-secondpositions and normally biased to its second `-position,an-electric motor means for actuating,saicl-mencl-berV to its 'rst position, a switch forsaid motormmeansnormally biased-to an foff position but movable -to an-,onfpositionto supply power to said motor means, a-lever-pivoted at one of its ends on a xedpivot-and-engag-ingsaidnmotor means at its other end, nsaidflever -havng ma bayonet slot vintermediate its ends, a manually operable knob having a shaft extending through a wall of said "device, a crank on the inner end of said shaft and having a pin extending laterally therefrom and into said bayonet slot, and a cam having a surface eccentric to said shaft and positioned to actuate said switch to its on position when said knob is rotated to move said motor means nearly to its rst position.

2. A control device comprising a member movable between rst and second positionsmand normally biased to itsk second position, aV- inotormeans for; actuating `isaid member toA its frstgpositiomcontrolmeans for saidmotor means normally biased to an ioifposition but movable to an on position to supply power to said motor means, a lever pivoted at one of its ends on a xed p-ivot and engaging said motor means-,at its other end, said lever having a bayonet slot intermediate its ends, a manually operable knob having a shaft extending through a wall of said device, a crank on the inner end of said shaftand having a pin extending laterally therefrom and into said bayonet slot, and a cam having a surface eccentric to said shaft and positioned yto actuate said control means to its on position when said knob is rotated to movesaid motor means nearly to its'rst position, said lever being capable of holding said member near its first position and the control means in its on position until released -by energization of said motor means. i 3. In a control device having a valve and acontrol member for actuating said valve betweenfirst and second positions and normally biased to itssecond positio11,the

Acombination comprising a motor VVmeans rfor lactuating said member to its on position and control meansrfor said motor means normally biased to an olf position but movable to an onf position to supplypower to said motor means; the combination comprising a lever pivoted at-one-of its ends on a'xed pivot and positioned toengage said motor means at its other end, said lever haying a slot intermediateits ends, said slot having va notch thereinya manually operable knob having a shaftextending through a wall of said device, Va crank on-,the -inner-end-of'said shaft and'having a pin extending laterally therefrom and into said bayonetrslot, and a cram having-a surface eccentric to said shaft and positioned to'actuate said control means to its on position when saidlfknob is rotatedto move said YVotor means nearly to its rst position and to position the pinin Ithe notch offt'he lever slot to retain said control means in its' on position. y n

44. A .control comprising a valve movable between open and closed positio-ns and normally biased to its closed position, a motor means for actuating said valve to -its open position, control means for said motor normally biased to an off position but movable to an fon position to supply power to said motor means, a lever pivoted at one of its ends and engaging said motor--meansatits other end, said lever having ya bayonetslot intermediate its ends, a manually operable knob havinga shaftextending through a wall of said device, a crank-on the inner end of said shaft and having a Ypin extending laterally therefrom and intosaid bayonet slot, and a cam having a surface eccentric to said shaft fand positioned to actate said control means to its oni` position when said knob is rotated to move said motor means nearly toits valve open position, said bayonet slot being capable of holdingsaid valve in said position until energization ofsaid'motor means relieves the bias of said motor means on the pin through the bayonet slot. l

:References V(.lited in the le of this patent 

